Partnerships in Dementia Care (PiDC) Alliance's Culture Change Process Webinar

Spurred by the interest in the Culture Change process, the PiDC Alliance recently partnered with the Alzheimer Knowledge Exchange to create and produce a webinar in which PiDC Alliance researchers, Drs Darla Fortune and Sacha Geer shared experiences in facilitating culture change through Appreciative Inquiry.  Though finished, the online PiDC Alliance Webinar is available to view free of charge.

In the webinar, the team outlined the need for culture change and detailed the 5-stage process of Appreciative Inquiry to improve the culture of care for all individuals involved in the dementia care process. This webinar focused on the first stage of the culture change process, “Dawning” in which Culture Change Coalitions are established and Authentic Relationships are forged.

Attendees of the webinar included long term care practitioners, policy makers, family partners in care and representatives from various primary care groups as well as other dementia researchers.  Feedback about this Dawning phase, a methodological and theoretical creation based on early research done by the PiDC Alliance, has been very positive. Although “Dawning” is not a regular part of older Appreciative Inquiry methods, it is significant in laying down a solid foundation for the rest of the Appreciative Inquiry stages.

The PiDC Alliance plans to hold another webinar on the second phase of Appreciative Inquiry, "Discovery", in the late summer or early fall. Stay tuned!